Did I tell you about my really bad day earlier this week when I fell down the cellar steps? Well, I discovered today that I not only have beautiful purple bruises on my rear, I also cracked a rib. I know there isn't much that can be done about a cracked rib, but boy, does it hurt. Mainly just when I breathe, but I can't quite give that up now can I?

Any suggestions for handling the pain. I'm sure plenty of people out there are familiar with this kind of injury. Thanks so much.

Wishing you enough.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Answers

There are probably people here that are more current than me in their medical knowledge, but when I was practicing we frequently "taped" or braced the rib injury. It wasn't so much for the healing but to make breathing a bit less painful because the rib wouldn't move so much each time you breathed. Sorry you are having this happen in you life and will be praying for a speedy recovery for you.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Arnica is good for trauma, especially bruises, but good for everything. You can get a homeopathic remedy for taking internally, and there are various arnica creams (Traumeel is one) for rubbing on the outside, as long as the skin isn't broken. Arnica is a GOOD thing to keep on hand.

Comfrey is supposed to be good for healing broken bones. There is also debate about it's toxicity. It seems to be one of those that you shouldn't be consuming by the gallon, but I would think that a cup a day would be safe. If you don't have fresh comfrey, you can usually buy the tea at a health food store.

Anyone else have direct experience? Sherri, you're the herbalist -- what say you. Yarrow has experience, too, I know.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Well, if that isn't adding insult to injury! You poor thing!! I don't have any practical advice. I just hope you get better soon.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

You poor Darling! Now relax and take it easy and don't be trying to do everything! So sorry that you had that fall.! Thinking about you! Love TRen

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

What diane said. No, it doesn't help heal, but it helps the hurt (also good for pluerisy breathing pain). Use and extra wide ace and wrap it tightly around your chest from under your boobs to the bottom of your rib cage. Take it off every few hours for circulation. Hope you feel better soon.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Oh Dianne, what a bummer! At least now you have a good excuse for feeling so sore.

I know of someone who had excellent success drinking comfrey tea for a broken ankle. If I had a broken or cracked bone I would be drinking 3-4 cups of comfrey tea a day. However, the FDA has just decided to ban the sale of comfrey for internal use. The plant does contain alkaloids that are alleged to cause liver damage. There are studies that show that the levels of these alkaloids are the highest in spring and decrease during the growing season. You can decide for yourself.

I just spent the past hour on the phone with a lawyer giving him some background information for a lawsuit my employer is currently involved in (completely unrelated to herbs), and I'm stuck in lawyer- speak mode! :)

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Like Joy said, use Arnica ticture applied 4-5 times a day on the outside, and take a homeopathic arnica on the inside, this should help tremendously with the pain and bruising.

If the herbal stuff just doesn't do the trick enough for you to do day to day chores, get your Dr. to write you a prescription for Vioxx or Celebrex, these two cox 2 inhibitors work wonders for muscle and bone pain, and usually are well tolerated by most folks.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Boy Dianne I know that one!! That happened to me long ago doing sports and I still remember how it hurts. The worst was not being able to sleep. Please don't be stuborn and take the drugs if you can't shake the pain any other way!! Heal Fast!!...Kirk

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

No advice. I'm so sorry to hear of your accident, hope you're up and around soon. Sherry

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

The traumeel is excellent!!!If you can get some homeopathic symphytum it knits bones together.You could try this too,stuff some comfrey in the blender or food processor ,or manually chop it into bits,put in a mason jar,cover with olive oil,let it sit for a day or two,strain it add beeswax and rub it on!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

WHAT a wonderful thread!! I am SO anxious to soak up all this stuff! Have used lots of commercially produced homeopathic stuff with a much higher success ratio than conventional medications, which of course is not surprising.

Dianne, please recieve my sincerest empathetic messages for your swift healing; its the best I can do. All these wonderful people have offered their wise advice, and I know you will take the energy unto yourself that you need. All I can offer you is that my family has added you to our prayer list, and are doing a drum circle and prayer ritual for the benefit of your healing,and we hope you can feel the love we are sending you as you read this.....

Namaste ......

(where the bejesuz is Judy??????????.....we NEED you ..........have lots of questions!)

'blessings,

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2001

Okay, everyone else has said Arnica, and I concur. We were trying to do some work on a bone-headed gelding at the barn one night, when he reared up, then landed with BOTH his front feet (shod, mind you!) right on BOTH of Jayme's feet, and of course she was only wearing light little Ariat boots. I started giving her Arnica orally, and a tube of gel to use on her feet, and told her to keep doing that every 15 minutes for the first hour, and then twice in the second hour.

I'm also a great believer in ice packs and leaving it on until the whole thing goes numb (and taking the Arnica).

Amazingly, the next day she said that she didn't even have so much as a bruise on either foot and was a little sore, but mostly walking normally. It was really amazing.

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2001

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful suggestions to help heal my poor aching ribs. I just knew I came to the right place. More than anything else, I appreciate all that good old fashinged sympathy. As I was lying down at the bottom of the steps in tears I remember saying: "I want my mama."

Thanks again for the weath of information.

Wishing you enough.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2001